Daddy Don't Cry
by FalterInMySteps
Summary: Harry Potter is having a particularly hard time letting go of his little girl at her wedding reception. As they take the steps in the traditional father-daughter dance, Harry reflects on his life with his Lily.


**Disclaimer:** If anybody actually mistook me for JK Rowling I would be extremely flattered, however they would be mistaken. I did not have the brilliance to create the Harry Potter universe.  
**A/N:** This story is a companion piece to my other, much longer story called The Quest for a Lily about how Remus and Lily got together. However, I believe I wrote this well enough that you don't need to read the other story to read this one. Be that as it may, if you like this I recommend reading the other story which is much more lighthearted.

Harry stood on the back porch of his modest home trying to hold back the tears. He was looking out to a back yard filled with fairy lights and crowded with people. Every tree was covered with flowers and lace and brightly lit. Despite the calm, cool autumn evening the noise of chattering people was filling his ears and their leaking body heat was keeping him warm. Harry stared out at all his friends and family in the crowd, big smiles on all their faces. He had to remind himself that this was a good night, a happy night.

A single rebellious tear escaped the corner of his eye and started its meandering path down his cheek. He quickly pulled his hand up and swiped the liquid off his face, removing the evidence. His eyes found his best friends, still all these years later. They were sitting at one of the tables covered in white fabric, pink roses, and plenty of candles. They had French champagne in their hands, sipping occasionally and conversing animatedly. Like usual it looked like they were arguing about something. Harry managed a small smile at the sight. His friends were always in some kind of disagreement or another, but they were still hopelessly in love.

Amazing, he thought, how two people could remain so solidly in love after all these years. It was the same with him and Ginny. Helplessly in love. Not that life and love didn't come with its little hiccups; its ups and downs. Life was like one of those crazy muggle thrill rides, called a roller coaster; it went up, it went down, it went side to side, it went upside-down, but despite it all it was worth it.

Harry's eyes wandered away from his best friends and focused instead on the strange DJ that had been hired for this most special of events. The DJ had made an honest attempt to look more formal, dressing in a slightly wrinkled tux but couldn't hide his nose ring, the tattoos across his hands and neck, or the ridiculous spiked hair. The DJ was swaying to the beat of a more up-beat song that was blaring from the speakers on either side of him. Harry frowned slightly. He wished a more respectable looking person could have been picked for tonight, but it's not like he was allowed much input. He was just the pocketbook, the bank account that was providing the endless supply of gold coins for this spectacular gathering. Everything was of the highest quality: real crystal goblets, freshly picked roses and lilies, hundred year old champagne, and the list never ended.

He let his eyes leave the hooligan of a DJ, trying to find those who meant the world to him. Those who were more important to him than his own life, more important than even his best friends. He searched and searched, but to no avail. It puzzled him as to why he couldn't spot those he loved amongst the crowd.

A porch board creaked behind him and he felt a familiar arm go around his waist. Harry's wife laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. He slipped his arm around her back to bring her even closer; she was like a talisman to ward off the pain of this day.

Ginny looked up at her husband, "Are you even enjoying yourself a little Harry?"

Harry glanced back, but didn't comment.

Ginny frowned and allowed her temper to build slightly. "How can you be so selfish?" she snapped quietly. "This is one of the most special days in your daughter's life and you're standing here mourning your loss."

"It's just so hard to give her up. I've known it was coming for years now, but it still doesn't make it any easier."

His wife sighed again. "At least you couldn't ask for a better man."

Harry's lips quivered between a smile and a frown, unsure of which to produce. After several long seconds he commented, "Yes, Remus is a good boy. I guess I've always known it would be him and I've kept a stern eye on him for it."

Ginny chuckled slightly and patted her husband's hand.

"Daddy! Daddy!" a stunning, precocious, four and a half year old girl came running up to Harry and wrapped her arms around his left leg. He retracted his arm from his wife's waist and reached down to pick up his little girl.

"Hey, honey-bee," he said looking into her pretty little face. Harry's eyes wandered from her pouty little lips, to her flaming red hair that announced she was Ginny's, to the big emerald eyes that were so like his and his mother's. Harry brushed his nose against hers, giving her an Eskimo kiss. "Are you having fun?"

"Gideon and me danced all around!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"Gideon and I," admonished Harry out of habit.

"Daaadddyyy," his little girl whined, her eyes traveling to the sky and a little giggle bursting forth.

"Daddy?" was repeated from behind Harry, but it was a more mature voice that spoke.

Harry gave his younger of two daughters another Eskimo kiss, setting her down and bid her, "why don't you go and find Elijah Shacklebolt, honey-bee, and dance with him."

"And Avery," called Ginny from beside Harry to the retreating figure of the little girl in the silver dress. Avery stopped and turned. "If you see your brothers, tell them I want to see them."

"Okay!" squeaked the girl and both Harry and Ginny knew that the request was already forgotten. Harry had a sense of déjà vu towards his youngest daughter's friendship with Kingsley's grandson; it was a friendship so much like the one that had developed into what was happening around him. Harry almost feared that his youngest would fall in love with Elijah early like his Lily had fallen for Remus and he would be faced with the prospect of giving another daughter away at way too young an age.

"Daddy?" came the surprisingly timid voice of his princess, his first daughter, his Lily.

Harry turned slowly around and, as his eyes met the radiance that was his third child, his face finally broke into the first smile since the start of the reception. He never failed to marvel at the beauty his daughter had grown into. Her pale, slightly freckled skin was sparkling lightly in the fairy light and the simple, unicorn white wedding dress managed to perfectly accent her trim figure. Lily's hair was done up in an uncomplicated way that probably took an hour to do and it framed her face perfectly. How could Harry not smile at her when she looked so beautiful and was so completely blissful?

"Hey princess," he said tenderly, opening his arms. "A hug for your old man now that you belong to another one?"

Lily fell into his arms like she used to when she was young. "Anytime daddy," she whispered into his chest.

Harry kissed his daughter's head, careful not to disturb her hair, and pulled her close into him. Her new husband was standing a couple steps away where Lily had left him when she slipped into her father's arms. Harry spared the boy, man now he had to remind himself, a glance and a slight smirk to show that what he was about to say would be a joke. Remus had always been exceedingly nervous around Harry and rarely spoke to him. Harry often thought Remus was terrified of him and what he thought and could never exactly figure out why. The smirk was purely to reassure the man that he was now part of the family. "So, princess, I hope your new husband led you around the dance floor properly or I might just have to renege on my approval and take you back from the man before you disappear on your honeymoon."

Lily poked her father in the ribs. "I guess you'll just have to put me back under lock and key then daddy, cause Remmie has two left feet and couldn't lead water down a river, much less a lady in a dance."

"Tisk tisk," said Harry wagging a finger at his new son in law. "We'll have none of that now. I guess I'll just have to show you two how it's done."

Harry's timing could not have been more perfect. Over the noise created by the crowd in the back yard, the DJ's voice carried, "It is now time for the traditional father-daughter dance. If the bride and her father could approach the dance floor as it is cleared off."

Harry let go of his little girl and held a hand out to her so that he could lead her down the porch steps to the dance floor. People let them pass slowly as they made their way. All eyes were on them when they finally took their place in the middle of the oak dance floor. Harry bowed to his daughter as the first notes of the song started to reverberate around the yard.

Lily giggled slightly and placed her arms around her father's neck. Harry positioned his arms around his daughter's waist and they began to twirl slowly on the spot. He looked deep into her eyes as they took the automatic steps around the dance floor.

There's two things I know for sure:  
She was sent here from heaven and she's daddy's little girl.  
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night  
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes  
and I thank god for all of the joy in my life  
Oh, but most of all

_Two protuberant golden hazel eyes stared at him from out of the pink blanket. He couldn't stop himself from staring in awe at the stunning curiosity that already seemed to show in the new life stirring in his arms._

"_It's a girl," said the mediwitch unnecessarily as she withdrew her hands, allowing him to hold his little girl all by himself. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Potter."_

_As the mediwitch withdrew to a corner Harry lifted the hand not holding the tiny new life and brought it up to stroke his little girl's face. His little girl. He couldn't get enough of that statement. With two rambunctious boys on his hands he had hoped and prayed for a girl. He had tried to keep it a secret desire, but he knew his wife was aware of his wish; she just knew him all too well._

_The girl in the crook of his arm lifted a hand to grab his finger as he brought it close to her face. He marveled at her strength. He knew at that moment that he would never get enough of her and he would never want to let her go. Harry walked over to the bed where his wife lay exhausted after another long labor. A huge smile crossed her face when she looked up at him holding their tiny baby girl._

_Harry sat down beside his wife on the bed as the newest addition to their family continued to grip his index finger. "Hey little one," he said with his most tender and gentle voice. "I'm your daddy and this is your mommy. We already decided on a name for you. Want to hear it?"_

_The little baby made some kind of burbling noise that Harry took as a yes. "We're going to call you Lillian Luna. And you're a Potter."_

_The little girl turned her eyes back to look straight into his. "You are just so beautiful. Like a little princess. Are you going to be your daddy's little princess?"_

_Again Lily made a burbling noise. "Okay, princess it is." Harry leaned down and placed his first gentle kiss on his little girl's forehead._

As they continued to sway to the gentle beat Harry leaned down to once again place a kiss upon his Lily's forehead. She pulled him tighter as the chorus started up.

For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer;  
sticking little white flowers all up in her hair;  
"Walk beside the pony, Daddy, it's my first ride."  
"I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried."  
Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right  
To deserve a hug every morning And butterfly kisses at night.

"_Daddy! Daddy!" a hyper-active five year old girl yelled, bursting into the bedroom on a Saturday morning. She climbed onto the bed and started bouncing up and down to wake her father up._

_Harry groaned and turned his head to glance at the bedside alarm clock. At the sight of the time he groaned again. "Princess it's almost seven in the morning. What are you doing up so early?"_

"_It's your birthday today! Happy Birthday!" she yelled, a look of pure joy plastered on her pretty face._

_Ginny rolled over at this point, letting out a groan of her own. "Why don't you take Lily down to the kitchen and make breakfast for her." It wasn't a suggestion; Harry realized that at once. His wife was commanding him to remove the rambunctious five year old from the room so she could go back to sleep. Her eyes had, in fact, never even opened._

"_But I already made breakfast," Lily managed to pout. That got Ginny to open her eyes._

_Harry, who had managed to sit up and push on his well-worn glasses, looked at his little princess. "What did you make me?" he asked before his wife could scold the child._

"_Eggs and toast and bacon and milk," his Lily ticked off breakfast items on her fingers._

"_And how did you manage to make all of that for me so early?" Harry was grinning like an idiot; he always tended to do that when his princess did something he thought overly cute._

_Lily looked nervous, grabbing her hands behind her back and looking down. "I borrowed your wand daddy," she managed in a small voice. This obvious act of knowing she had done wrong only made Harry grin wider._

_However it had quite the opposite effect on his wife. "You what?!" she yelled, sitting up._

_Harry pushed Ginny back down on the bed trying, with a look, to calm her down. He swung his legs out of the bed and stood up. "So, princess," he said as he reached over to grab his daughter away from the wrath of her mother. She wrapped her arms and legs around his torso and he started walking out of the room. "Is my wand still in the kitchen?"_

_Lily pondered that for a second before nodding. "Yep."_

_When he walked into the kitchen he could see his young house elf shaking her head at the huge mess that covered the entirety of the kitchen. But in the middle of the island counter sat plates of burnt bacon, varying degrees of cooked eggs, piles of bread out of its bag, and two glasses of milk. And there was his wand sitting in an empty cup. Harry gave his daughter an Eskimo kiss. "You did this all for me?"_

_Lily beamed and nodded vigorously. The young elf pulled on his pajama bottoms and squeaked in a high pitched voice, "I'm so sorry Master Harry, but I couldn't stop her."_

_"Everything's alright Kari," said Harry with a smile. "It's my birthday you know."_

Other father daughter couples started to make their way onto the dance floor as the next verse started up. There was Ron and his daughter Rose flowing through the bodies, Teddy Lupin with his seven month old baby girl in his arms revolving slowly on the spot, and Harry's firstborn son James with his two year old daughter riding on his toes. However Harry didn't pay any attention to these other couples, he kept his focus firmly on his first daughter.

Sweet 16 today  
She's looking like her mama a little more everyday  
One part woman, the other part girl.  
To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls  
Trying her wings out in a great big world.  
But I remember.....

"_You're getting old dad!" Harry's firstborn taunted him, zooming around him in the yard of the Burrow. It was the day after Hogwarts got out for its summer break and the whole family had gathered at the Burrow to celebrate the graduation of two more of its members. James and Fred were finished with schooling and awaiting their NEWT results._

"_Which means it'll look pretty bad when I beat you to the snitch again!" he yelled after his son while he scanned the make-shift pitch. As was tradition, the family was playing a round of quidditch before lunch. This particular day it was grown-ups against kids. James, Fred, Louis, Molly, Hugo, Lily, and her ever-present best friend Remus were playing a spirited match against Harry, Ginny, Ron, George, Audrey, Charlie, and Teddy._

_Harry took a moment away from his active scanning for the snitch to see how the game was going for the others. His little girl, who wasn't so little anymore at the age of fifteen, had the quaffle in her hands and made a daring pass to Remus who caught it and in the same motion threw it through the center hoop. Harry marveled at the perfection of the maneuver that his Lily and her best friend had just executed. They knew each other so well that they could pull off amazing feats. Of course it had the adverse effect of making Ron bluster and turn his usual dark shade of red._

"_LUNCH!" Mrs. Weasley's voice carried over the yard. Groans could be heard from all the quidditch players who had their game interrupted. As fourteen pairs of feet once again touched the ground Harry made his way over to his daughter to congratulate her on her ever-growing skills._

_Harry had watched his third child closely as she grew from the cutest little girl in the world into a radiant teenager. She had developed a particular penchant for quidditch and trouble over the years. She had also grown dangerously close to Neville's only child. They had been best friends since they were in Nappies, but ever since they started Hogwarts Harry could see something a little more festering under the surface. The 'little bit more' that he could see, worried him. _

_As Harry approached his princess he saw her give that boy a look he had seen on Ginny's face many a time while looking at himself. She placed a finger on the boy's chest and stood on tip-toes to whisper something in his ear. Harry started to see red at the grin growing on Neville's kid's face and jinxes and hexes started popping to mind. He wasn't sure he could hold himself in at the blatant flirting that was going on in front of him._

_Harry saw a flash, almost like a premonition, of what could happen. In the flash his little princess was walking down an aisle in a white dress towards Remus. Harry saw himself giving her away. The flash ended and he knew he must do something. If he didn't he would lose his little girl to the fiend that was practically groping her in a more-than-friends hug right in front of his eyes._

_However, when Harry stepped forward a hand clasped on his shoulder and dragged him back. His wife put an arm firmly around his waist and stared across the pitch with him at the budding couple. "Aren't they adorable together?" she said in an offhand manner._

_Harry didn't say a word, he just growled. His wife pinched his arm with extreme force and he yelped. She sighed and turned him around to lead him to the table set up in the garden. "You are going to have to learn to share her Harry," she said simply. "If you don't learn to share her, than how will you deal with it when you lose her completely?"_

"_I'll lock her up and throw away the key," Harry said with a straight face._

_His wife laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "If only that would work my darling husband. But do you really believe you could find a way to keep them separated? They have been closer than two peas in a pod for their entire lives and now…"_

"_I could murder him," said Harry, spitting out more ideas. "Or frame him for something and get him thrown in Azkaban. It would be so easy."_

_Ginny continued to laugh as if her husband was just joking around. They walked into the garden and Ginny stopped her husband by the old willow tree. She looked up into his face and he knew that the next thing she said would be a law he would have to obey. "If you are so worried about losing her, then get closer to Remus, Harry. Give him advice; make sure their relationship works out. Don't sabotage it. Trust me, if you become good friends with Remus, then he will be more than willing to give you time with her when their relationship becomes concrete. You get between them and you distance yourself from an angry daughter."_

_His wife left him under the willow tree to simmer in his thoughts. He watched as Teddy kissed his wife and James smirked at him as he sat down to eat. His daughter, with Remus in tow, skipped through the garden gate. She spotted her father standing alone and left her friend to walk over to him._

"_Hi daddy!" she said giving him a bone crushing hug._

_He squeezed back and kissed her on the cheek, but didn't say anything. His daughter looked him in the face._

"_I missed you so much over the last of the term. I wished you could have seen Remus and I beat those Slytherin snots into the ground during the house tournament."_

"_That would have been a marvel. I watched some of your moves today. Won't be long and you'll get a letter from the Harpies asking you to play."_

_She smiled at him. "You really think so?"_

"_Of course, princess."_

"_Thanks daddy. I love you."_

"_I love you too." he said after her as she turned around and skipped the rest of the way to the lunch table and sat down by Remus. As Harry stared at them he begrudgingly came to the conclusion that he would attempt his wife's advice and try to keep close to his daughter by getting close to Remus._

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer;  
sticking little white flowers all up in her hair.  
"You know how much I love you, Daddy,

But if you don't mind I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time."  
Oh with all that I've done wrong I must have done something right  
to deserve her love every morning and butterfly kisses at night.

As the song went into the bridge Harry could start to feel the traitorous tears start to form in his eyes once again. His dancing became slightly erratic as he drew his daughter closer. He glanced away from her head towards the little he could see of the stars through the treetops. He wanted to wish on those stars to keep his daughter for just a little bit longer. But he knew it would be a futile effort. He had already given her away.

She'll change her name today.  
She'll make a promise and I'll give her away.  
Standing in the bride-room just staring at her.  
She asked me what I'm thinking and I said  
"I'm not sure-I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."  
She leaned over

_The blue and gold fire flickered slowly in its grate as it started to burn down from its roaring state. Harry lay on the couch in the family room with his wife cuddled close to him. He watched the fire with rapt attention as the flames slowly but surely flickered downward, creating stunning patterns in the glowing embers. This was always one of his favorite times of year; the cold, dark of Christmas Eve night. He had enjoyed another delicious meal cooked by his wife only a few hours before and his family surrounded him._

_Well, most of his family surrounded him. James and his muggle wife Katelyn were over by the tree playing with their seventeen month old daughter. Albus was snoozing lightly in a plush armchair with his wife of a little over a month in his arms. Teddy and a very pregnant Victoire were watching the two toddlers in the room chase around a toy snitch that was bewitched to not go above three feet in the air. It was tradition in the Potter household to open one present on Christmas Eve night and the rest the next morning at the Burrow when the entire family gathered together. Harry's second daughter had opened up the snitch. Avery and Gideon were now busy chasing it around the room and giggling up a storm._

_The only of Harry's immediate family that was missing was his princess. She and Remus had gone on a walk half an hour previously and Harry was anxiously awaiting their return. Ginny had had wild ideas about what Remus would be doing that night out in the cold and Harry wanted to see if she was right._

_Remus had come to Harry all the way back in late September and stuttered out an inquiry for Lily's hand in marriage. After leaving the boy hanging for an acceptable period of time Harry had begrudgingly given his approval. So far, however, the boy had failed miserably to ask Lily to marry him. Harry sometimes wondered if the boy would ever get around to it. Ginny was even more antsy. She was eager, it would seem, to plan a huge beautiful wedding. She was maybe even more impatient for more grandchildren. Despite having her own toddler in the house, James' little baby girl had won over Ginny's heart and now she wanted more._

_The sound of a door bursting open came from the direction of the back of the house and, in a habit that had never died, Harry drew his wand so fast his hand was a blur and his wife fell to the ground. Seconds later his Lily had run into the room, her face aglow and squealing with excitement. It would seem that the dreaded moment had finally come. Ginny scrambled up from the floor and Harry stuffed his wand back in his robes. All eyes in the room turned to Lily._

"_Well?" asked Katelyn exasperatedly when Lily kept everybody waiting._

_Lily's smile grew, if possible, even wider and she thrust her left hand out towards the center of the room. "Remus proposed!"_

_Ginny, Katelyn, and Albus' wife Allison gathered around Harry's princess to give her hugs and examine the ring. There was lots of high pitched squealing that was disturbing Harry's quiet, peaceful night. Remus walked in not long later with a smile of his own. James went over to give him some kind of patented snarky James comment that the rest of the room didn't hear. When events calmed down slightly, Lily looked over to where her father was still sitting on the couch._

_Harry met his daughter's eyes and gave her a bright grin. She came over and sat on his lap like she did when she was little. However she wasn't a little girl anymore. "Looks to me as if you might have said yes," commented Harry, bringing his daughter's hand up to examine the ring that had been placed there. It was relatively simple, containing a small diamond and a couple of rubies, but it was well crafted._

"_I might have," said his daughter slyly._

"_You know I've had to wait quite some time for this moment." His daughter looked at him questioningly and he threw a smirk at his to-be son-in-law. "Yeah, your fiancé over there came to ask for your hand all the way back in September. It's been quite the wait, I can tell you."_

_Harry's princess threw a shrewd look at her new fiancé and he looked around shyly. "I was waiting for the right time," he said defensively._

_Lily rolled her eyes and threw her arms around her father. She placed a kiss to his cheek and whispered in his ear, "You don't know how much your approval means to me daddy."_

"I love you so much daddy," his princess whispered into his chest and Harry's spirits lifted as they always did when those words met his ears.

And gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there,  
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair  
"Walk me down the aisle, Daddy-it's just about time."  
"Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don't cry"  
Oh, with all that I've done wrong I must have done something right.  
To deserve her love every morning and butterfly kisses

_This was the moment, at last. The moment where he would be forced to give his little girl away. As they stood at the back of the church waiting for the cue to start the long trek to the alter Harry stared at his little girl for the last time. He stared because in mere minutes she would no longer be his. He had allowed this to happen, he had approved of it, and right at that time he was glad he had. His daughter looked radiant, stunning, and gorgeous in her white dress. She was so happy in that moment that he couldn't say a thing._

_Harry had been practicing for weeks on holding his emotions in so that his daughter wouldn't have to see him cry on her big day. It was a day that was supposed to be special and he wasn't about to spoil it in any way. Not for anything._

_She looked back at her father after adjusting her dress nervously. He could see the question in her eyes; the questions that pop into everybody's head briefly right before taking a huge step. Harry cupped his princess's cheek and answered without her having to ask; no matter how much it hurt him to say. "Remus is the perfect man for you princess. You two are closer than then any couple I have ever seen and I may not have the sight, but I have no doubt there will be a cheerful future for you with him. All you have to do is walk with me towards your perfect guy and say those two little words."_

_She smiled as he kissed her forehead in the same way as he had for her entire life and brushed her dress down once again. "And your dress is beautiful. I've never seen a more breathtaking bride."_

"_I love you daddy."_

_Green eyes bored into brown and the music started up that indicated it was time. "I love you too princess. And don't you ever forget it."_

_They went down the aisle in a blur and before he knew it, Harry was letting go of his little girl's hand, telling the minister he was the one giving her away and sitting down beside his weeping wife. And that was it. She would never be only his again._

As the song drew to an end, a single tear once again slid from the corner of Harry's eye. His princess looked up at his face and brushed the tear away. "Don't cry daddy," she said. "I promise I'll always be around."

Harry smiled at the woman who would always be his little girl. "You behave yourself and keep your man in line princess. After all, Potter women are the true rulers of their households."

Harry was vaguely aware of being led back to his previous position on the porch where his wife was standing, waiting for him. Remus scooped his new wife up and kissed her, eager to be back with her even after so short an absence. The freshly married couple was once again swept away by well wishers and the parents watched their retreating backs. Harry gave up holding back the tears but not many fell.

After a couple of fast-paced new-age songs his younger daughter came skipping back up. "Can I dance with you like Lily, daddy?"

Harry's face brightened as he looked to the many years he would still have with his other little girl; his little honey-bee that he could still spoil rotten and dance with whenever he wanted.

"Anytime you want honey-bee."

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed it. But no matter whether you did or didn't I would more than appreciate a few words in that box below (also called a review).


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